Tigers of Central India

[peter]

Some time ago, four males were involved in a struggle for territory in Kanha. As the struggle continued for a long time, there must have been a kind of balance. Than, out of nowhere, one of the males was found dead. Although no report was published, those who found him concluded Kingfisher had been killed in a fight.

As he was large and in his prime, chances are he was wasn't killed by a female. This means Kingfisher had to be killed by one of the other males. As the four competitors were close in size, it must have been a close fight. Therefore, it's likely that his killer also was injured. Although nobody in the know is sure about anything, one of the other three males was seen not that far away not too long after the fight. They said Bheema wasn't moving well.

He took a long time to recover, if he recovered at all. In the period he struggled, he got into another fight. He survived, but this time he had been on the receiving end. When they found him, his injuries were so severe they decided to treat him. Without treatment, he could have perished. I'm not too sure about his opponent, but most think it could have been Umarpani.

There has been a debate about a few things, which wasn't quite concluded. Most unfortunately, it derailed as a result of circumstances. I do not doubt the debate will be resumed in some time.

We could continue the debate, but I propose to concentrate on something that wasn't discussed. Only few seem to realise we witnessed something out of the ordinary. Most of us know wild tigers face a difficult time when they become independent. They not only need to learn how to hunt, but they also need to find a territory. Females often settle down close to their mother and sometimes even get a part of her territory, but males not seldom are forced to walk long distances. When a young male finds a place to his liking, chances are he will meet the owner sooner or later. If not, he will meet other young males who share his interest in a particular farm. The young male than has two options: to fight or to run. Every young male has no choice but to conquer the place he selected the hard way. This could be the reason tigers in India seem to be larger and heavier than a century ago.    

Some males, for some reason, are able to keep on top for a considerable period of time, but most males, even when they conquer a territory, will be tested every now and then. I'm not saying every serious fight results in a disaster, but if a male loses his home it will be a disaster no matter what. 

I'm interested in two questions. The first question is in what way struggles for territory are decided. The second question is why some males seem to be able to keep on top for quite a long time, whereas most others only succeed for a limited period of time.

As to the first question. The four males mentioned above are close in size. This could be the reason the struggle continued for quite some time. Assuming size wasn't decisive, the question is what was. The two males still in the race are quite similar in built. Both are large-skulled and compact animals. The other two, although similar in size and weight, seemed a bit less solid. Apart from built, some seemed more able to avoid a tough struggle than others. This is important when the margins are small. Another factor to consider is the ability to weather the storm. When the arena has been selected, chances are all contenders will be fit. Fights between animals of similar size and age seldom are decided at the start. What I know, suggests that it could be about the ability to do it more than once over an extended period of time (this is what I saw in captivity). This means a male tiger needs more than one ability to succeed. The question is which is decisive.  

As for the second question. Wagdoh has been at the top so long, he could die of old age. The most obvious reason could be size, but it's also clear he is very aware as well as intelligent. When a female disappeared, he took care of the cubs. It's not unique (it was observed a century ago as well), but not all male tigers succeed. Wagdoh did. Raja also has been in charge for a long time. Although large as well, he had to do it the hard way. Apparently, he's still able to go all the way against a younger male. This is remarkable, as quite many young adult males reach a great size. Raja also is an accomplished hunter, able to take down large prey animals on his own. Although they seem to be opposites, both Wagdoh and Raja are very good at what they do. What is it that sets them apart? 

The situation in central parts of India isn't much different from other regions in India. I've seen so many photographs of large male tigers, I wouldn't know where to start. Based on the information we have, it's quite safe to say that Indian tigers are larger than a century ago. They also seem to reach maturity sooner than before. A result of competition foremost, or did we miss something? Reply